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I typically give the rabies vaccine on its very own visit and when the dog is "off duty" for a few days. Don't stress him or even play much...just low key stuff. I don't worry about getting TF free because, honestly, the vet does not stock it.

06-04-2014 10:48 PM

lalachka

The reaction to vaccine is rare but that won't help me if it happens to be my dog that reacts.

I'm explaining why I was holding off. I will get it done though, I see it's a serious disease. Just very scared that something might happen to my dog, that's all

They do not even mention Ashtabula County, which, I guess, is a good thing. But the counties next to us, Lake, and Geauga, (west) and Trumble(south) are there with a couple of bats, and down south in Trumble, a few cats as well.

No confirmed cases of rabies in dogs in all of 2013.

Selzer, the reason you are not seeing a lot of cases in dogs is because of the effectiveness of mandatory vaccination regulations. It really worries me when dog owners are afraid to vaccinate their dogs for rabies because compliance with state and local laws to vaccinate companion animals against rabies is one of the main reasons that we are not seeing larger numbers of rabies cases in companion animals in our country.

But, just because companion animals are not being infected in large numbers in your area (due to vaccination) is NOT the same thing as saying that rabies is not present in your area.

Key quotes from the CDC:
“Over the last 100 years, rabies in the United States has changed dramatically. More than 90% of all animal cases reported annually to CDC now occur in wildlife; before 1960 the majority were in domestic animals. The principal rabies hosts today are wild carnivores and bats.”

“Wild animals accounted for 92% of reported cases of rabies in 2010. Raccoons continued to be the most frequently reported rabid wildlife species (36.5% of all animal cases during 2010), followed by skunks (23.5%), bats (23.2%), foxes (7.0%), and other wild animals, including rodents and lagomorphs (1.8%). Reported cases decreased among all wild animals during 2010.”

“Domestic species accounted for 8% of all rabid animals reported in the United States in 2010. The number of reported rabid domestic animals decreased among all domestic species except cats. In 2010, cases of rabies in cats increased 1.0% compared with the number reported in 2009. The number of rabies cases reported in cats is routinely 3-4 times that of rabies reported in cattle or dogs. Pennsylvania reported the largest number of rabid domestic animals (72) for any state, followed by New York (51). In 2010 approximately 1.1% of cats and 0.3% of dogs tested for rabies were found positive.”

And, just to illustrate what life would look like if people in the US decided not to vaccinate their dogs, there is this info:

“Rabies in humans is 100% preventable through prompt appropriate medical care. Yet, more than 55,000 people, mostly in Africa and Asia, die from rabies every year - a rate of one person every ten minutes. The most important global source of rabies in humans is from uncontrolled rabies in dogs. Children are often at greatest risk from rabies. They are more likely to be bitten by dogs, and are also more likely to be severely exposed through multiple bites in high-risk sites on the body. Severe exposures make it more difficult to prevent rabies unless access to good medical care is immediately available.”

06-04-2014 10:27 PM

NancyJ

I don't have 2013 stats for my state but this report shows plenty when you consider those rabid animals are the ones tested. How many just die in the woods. ...[ignore the error message...the link works]

So glad we don't have this over here......Old Yella was enough for me.

It makes no sense to not vaccinate when it is available.

Actually, it does make sense not to vaccinate sometimes. You do a risk analysis. To some dogs, like those with seizure disorders, it is more risky than it is for healthy dogs. Think of it this way, if a bat or a rodent comes into my home that has rabies, it may bite my dog, or it might bite me. I am not running out and getting vaccinated against rabies because there may be a rabid bat somewhere. I do get my dogs vaccinated, but I am not necessarily going to do it as often as is recommended.

For example, I got Babs vaccinated a few months ago. She will be nine in a couple of months. If she is still around when she is twelve, I am not going to put her through another rabies vaccine.

They do not even mention Ashtabula County, which, I guess, is a good thing. But the counties next to us, Lake, and Geauga, (west) and Trumble(south) are there with a couple of bats, and down south in Trumble, a few cats as well.

No confirmed cases of rabies in dogs in all of 2013.

06-04-2014 08:39 AM

sparra

So glad we don't have this over here......Old Yella was enough for me.